Promise
by dax-fox
Summary: Warning: Character death. A war is raging and in amongst it all a young Shadowhunter is served a fatal blow. What will his Warlock boyfriend do when he finds his lover bleeding in the snow?


_Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or the Mortal Instruments series for that matter. The pleasure instead be;ongs to Cassandra Clare._

_Authors Note: This was a story I wrote only a few days ago but now I look back on it I realise just how much it changed from my original idea... for one thing nobody died in my initial plan, but oh, well, I'll still write the original one at some point. I'm not really that happy with this particular story because it is tad flat. But I adore these two characters and I guess I thought it was worth posting it up all the same._

Perfect, tiny crystals of snow floated to the ground, dancing around with each other in a hypnotising waltz before they settled into the mass of snow that carpeted the early morning world and then they all became one; one perfect continuous carpet of purity. They were innocent of the cries of pain and havoc that ravaged the air about them.

A young looking warlock appeared amongst it all, the snow gently crunching under his weight. The brightness of his hair and clothes contrasted immensely with the dull white and grey scene in which he found himself. He spun around in frantic circles, glitter flew off him as he did so and it mingled in with the snow as if it was meant to en d up there all along. Suddenly Magnus saw what he was looking for: a Shadowhunter, but not just any Shadowhunter.

The Shadowhunters name was Alec Lightwood. The warlock ran over to his lover who was lying on the ground, completely still. Magnus was breathing heavily as he ran, his heart pounding in his chest. He stumbled beside Alec and his knees sank into the snow. A thin line of blood was trickling from the Nephilim's lips and as the Warlock grabbed his motionless face between his long fingers and breathed a thousand wishes that he could be saved, he recognised the cold of ice in the touch of his sweet, sweet little Nephilim's skin.

"No, Alec! Alec!"

The Warlock's voice trembled with fear and desperation.

His fingers moved from the side of the boys face to his lips and there he felt the tiniest bit of warmth as air rushed out of Alec's lungs and then was dragged back again.

"I won't let you leave me! Not yet, Alec, not yet." His hand lingered on the boys delicate pink lips stained slightly red by his blood which was now trickling on the snow, tainting it with the knowledge of tragedy and mortality that the little snowflakes had never before contemplated.

The eight hundred year old Warlock cradled the Shadowhunter in his arms as delicately as if he were a sleeping child that he daren't wake up. He stood up with Alec still in his arms, his head falling limply against Magnus's neck so that his black hair tickled the warlock cheek and soaked up some of the tears that fallen down them.

Another Shadowhunter ran up behind the pair. "What... ALEC!"

Magnus swung around to see Jace standing there, open mouthed and clutching his stele impossibly tightly as his eyes brushed over the limp and pale form of his brother.

They both stood statically in fearful silence. Because they both knew something they did not wish to admit. Alec was far too still...

"Take care of him. Promise me." said the Nephilim uncharacteristically trembling as he did so, but his voice was strong and his tone demanding and intense.

"Always. Until the very end of everything, you know that Jace!"

Jace nodded sharply once, his gaze lingering on his brother until he remembered that he had a job to finish, even more so now... for Alec's sake... but still, he found himself frozen to the spot, wanting to make sure that his brother was taken away from all this chaos.

Magnus closed his eyes slowly.

_Always. _

_Until he breathes no more and his heart is too weak to ever beat again. I know that day will come but __**I will not let it be this day.**_

He snapped his fingers and with that the pair vanished in a shower of blue sparks that bounced off the snow that still held the scars of Alec's blood.

He laid his cold lover out on the bed. He cast every spell he knew; wished his heart away until he couldn't bear to speak of it anymore. Silence reigned for a short while. Then a sob burst forth from between his lips and he looked at Alec again. He looked so young, so very, very young, and so pale, as white as the snow outside. Magnus wished then that he could see those dazzling blue eyes that he knew were hidden under Alec's almost translucent eyelids.

He bent down over the bed and planted his lips on Alec's and stayed there for awhile. He couldn't feel the warmth of Alec's breath anymore. He was just... cold.

Magnus sat up on the edge of the bed and caressed Alec's face for a long time and he cried in silence whilst watching the sun rise slowly, tainting the landscape with shades of pink, through the window.

_I always knew you would leave me. Everyone always does. You're not the first Alec... _

_But you are the first to truly break my heart. You were meant to give your life to me. Let me watch you be happy, sad, and angry. I was going to watch you enjoy your youth and become one of the most beautiful, kind and knowledgeable of men. I'm selfish like that Alec, my life is never ending but yours is like any good book, it has a beginning, middle and an end. I envied you. But even more than that, I loved you... love you._

_You've left me alone. All alone in an empty world that just keeps spinning in pointless circles. _

_I will love again... I know that, even though my heart screams with rage at the very idea, but it's because I need something Alec! Something, anything, to fill the void, but, forever now, until the end of time, no other relationship will hold as much meaning to me as ours..._

_Nobody else will ever come close to the intensity of the love you have inspired in me. I can promise you that, my love. _

_One day I will find you again. Somehow. I Promise._

_Promise..._

He kissed the dead boy one more time, even more gently then before. Then he pulled a white sheet over the cold body of Alec Lightwood.

He wondered over to the dressing table and picked up a Christmas card that had been stuck on the side of the mirror. He opened it and cast his eyes quickly over the message that had seemed so simple and sweet just yesterday but now meant so much more to him now.

To Magnus,

Happy Christmas

I love you.

I know I don't say it very often, and sometimes that annoys you. The thing is every time I see you and you smile at me, with your beautiful eyes shining at me like jewels, I realise that you love me. It makes me feel so elated because each time feels like the first time. I still can't believe that you chose me, out of everyone else in the world, to be yours.

It seems impossible...

I could never say all these things to your face. Not because I don't mean them but because sometimes I get afraid that if I say all these things then it will break the spell that binds you to me. I'm not used to this Magnus...

But hopefully one day I will be and you will still be by my side. As long as you are, I know I can be strong and most importantly, that I am loved. We are not family and you don't have a duty to love me, you do so because you want to.

I can't explain how much that means to me. You asked me what I wanted for Christmas, well what I want more than anything is for you to stay with me no matter what, do you promise Magnus do you promise to stand by my side no matter what?

Love, Alec.

Sorry for the over the top message, I guess, I just had to let you know how I feel, you know?

Magnus tore his eyes away and then closed the card whilst trying to hold back tears, he felt drained beyond believe and his breathing was heavy as he tried to fight sobs from leaving his lips. Eyes closed he tilted his head upwards and swallowed deeply before looking back at the card he had laid down on the table. With his face a mask devoid of emotion he clicked his fingers and the card went up in a crown of sapphire blue flames and he watched without moving an inch as it turned to ash.

"I'm sorry."


End file.
